Out of Afghanistan

Matthew Hoh is a former Marine Corps captain who has served with the U.S. Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last fall he resigned his post in Afghanistan, declaring in his resignation letter: “I find specious the reasons we ask for bloodshed and sacrifice from our young men and women in Afghanistan. If honest, our stated strategy of securing Afghanistan to prevent al-Qaeda resurgence . . . would require us to additionally invade and occupy western Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan [and] Yemen.” He argues that current U.S. policy fuels corruption, supports drug lords and does little to support the majority of Afghans.

What was your experience of the war in Iraq and the effectiveness of U.S. policy there?